Real-life relationship binds country duo Thompson Square

March 25, 2013|By Chrissie Dickinson, Special to the Tribune

Thompson Square, the husband-and-wife duo of Keifer and Shawna Thompson.

There's an old adage that instructs writers to write about what they know. The husband-and-wife country duo Thompson Square takes that advice to heart. Keifer and Shawna Thompson put their relationship at the center of many of their songs.

"You have to write about what you know, because if you don't, the fans can sniff out right away that you're (pretending to be) somebody that you're not," says Shawna. "Keifer and I just happened to be really in love and together for a long time. We wrote about our relationship, the ups and downs. I think a lot of couples out there can relate to that."

Thompson Square came on the country music radar with their 2011 self-titled debut, a release that yielded several hit singles including the No. 1 duet "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not." They won top vocal duo of the year honors at the Country Music Association Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards. They snagged a couple of Grammy nominations along the way and landed opening gigs for two of the genre's biggest acts, Jason Aldean and Lady Antebellum.

Shawna and Keifer now follow up that heady debut period with their sophomore release, "Just Feels Good" (Stoney Creek Records), which drops Tuesday. Currently on tour, the duo opens for Luke Bryan on June 15 at First Midwest Bank Amphitheater.

Thirteen years into their marriage, Shawna and Keifer are achieving success that was nearly two decades in the making. The two met 17 years ago when both were brand new to Nashville. She hailed from Alabama. He came from Oklahoma.

"We met the same week we both moved to town, and we literally have been together ever since," says Shawna.

The two pursued their own careers and eventually married. They continued playing all over Nashville as solo artists, trying to jump-start their individual careers. Singer-guitarist Keifer landed a regular gig at the music club Legends, and vocalist Shawna would occasionally sit in with him. Folks in the crowd heard the chemistry in their harmonies and wondered aloud why the girl with the powerful soprano and the guitarist with the grainy pipes didn't make it official and join forces professionally.

"People would say, 'Why aren't you guys doing this together? There's a super-tight harmony that you have,'" recalls Shawna. "But it was one of those forest for the trees kind of things. Keifer and I didn't really get it or run with it."

"It took a while for us to figure it out," Keifer agrees.

Life intervened and they eventually saw the potential in joining forces. Seven years into their marriage, with both of their solo careers at a standstill, the two had a heart-to-heart about their future plans.

"We sat down at the kitchen table and had a serious conversation," says Shawna. "Things were going pretty rough with our solo careers and we both said, 'Why don't we give this duo thing a shot?'"

The idea resonated on a personal level as well.

"Our marriage is the most important thing," says Keifer. "We didn't want to be one of these statistics. How do we stay married, stay happy and play music? Out of that conversation Thompson Square was born."

The married couple began to reassess the way they did things artistically. They became a duo in the fullest sense.

"We started writing together," says Shawna. "Before that we had never really written together. That's when we created this sound and when things started happening for us."

After years of dues-paying the two were eventually signed to the indie label Stoney Creek Records.

Thompson Square's music is a blend of brisk, highly-produced '80s rock and booming Nashville pop, with country-esque lyrics of love embedded in the mix. Whether writing together, with other collaborators or choosing material written by others, the Thompsons' songs address the various aspects of a relationship.

"That's So Me and You," co-written by Keifer with Vicky McGehee and Kyle Jacobs, is the story of how the couple met and struggled with their careers through the early years. "Didn't know singing for tips in a pickle jar would change our lives," Keifer sings, recalling their time playing for bucket money in the local club scene.

The song was one of the rare times Shawna didn't pitch in on the co-write.

"I wasn't able to write that day," she recalls. "It was quite a surprise when Keifer came home with that song, because it is about how we met and about our lives up until now."

"That was from me to her," Keifer says. "I wanted to write a song for her and my memory of how it all happened."

The two have supported each other through the uncertainties of a life in the music business.

"I hate to say it, but I firmly believe that if Keifer had not come into my life, I probably would have given up," Shawna says. "He pushed me to continue on."